Mark 4:37-40
And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

There are times in our lives when we feel we’ve hit rock bottom. We’re in a little boat on a big sea, and the storm is rising. The wind swirls faster and harder and drives giant waves over our boat. We’re vulnerable in the midst of this sea with no shelter, no cover, no reprieve from the wind and waves. Water fills our boats, and we fear it is only a matter of time before we sink to the bottom. We are totally helpless, driven where the wind may take us, forced to ride it out. Our futile efforts could never bail out the boat in time.

But have we forgotten our passenger? Jesus lies sleeping in the back of our boat, resting in His faith in the Father. Surely in this most desperate moment we can call upon Him. Surely He will hear us and help us. Let’s go to Him, then. Let us present our need before Him. Though we are weak and fearful, let us not be afraid to tell Him just what is bothering us: “Oh, Lord, this storm is too much for me. The wind is strong, and my boat is filled with water. I can do nothing to escape. Please help me before I drown.”

Jesus rises up and confronts our foe. No, not even the wind and the sea can oppose Him. He is master over all. He rebukes the wind, and it ceases. He commands the sea to be still, and a great calm suddenly washes over the scene. Our boat stops rocking. The roar of the wind is silenced. And certainly if Jesus has power over the wind and the sea, He can have power over whatever storm we find ourselves in.

We cannot leave our boats docked in fear of the next storm. But we continually launch out, moving on to the next place Jesus asks us to go. More storms will come, but Jesus simply asks us to have faith. We can’t trust in ourselves to navigate through the rough waters of life. We can’t rely on the boat to always get us safely to our next destination. But Jesus is our constant companion and guide, and He will never leave us to face the harsh winds alone. As we rest in His strength, we will not be afraid, though the waves beat against us.